Letter from Dr. Nowygrod

Although the Department of Surgery at Columbia University has expressed its appreciation to you individually, I want to add my personal thoughts.

Carly left an indelible mark on us all.  She was resilient, strong, charming, engaging and vibrant despite the challenges, disappointments and hurdles she faced.  Those of us who knew her personally and all of my colleagues and staff who helped care for her grew unabashedly attached to her.  And despite knowing intellectually how her struggle would almost certainly end, we all clung emotionally to the hope for the miracle which never materialized.  Carly, throughout her illness, and with few lapses, remained optimistic, hopeful, and found her happiness in small victories and through the friends and family who surrounded her.  She transformed her hospital room into a room-at-home and it was virtually always filled with people and with her “things” and with her smiles and spirit.

And so, together with her family and to more permanently celebrate her life and memory, we have re-allocated your research fund donations to the Carly Elizabeth Hughes Memorial Vascular Research Fund.  It is my goal, and my colleagues, to assure that your transformed wishes will continue to honor Carly by our efforts to advance medical knowledge and its applications to helping patients.  Thank you for your thoughts and your generosity.

Sincerely,

Dr. Roman Nowygrod